littlefield



DENNIS, e. LITTLEFIELD, or ALBANY, New YORK.

Letters .Patent No. 77,056, dated .April 21, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN GOAL-STOVES.

@Llp .stigma referat tu in tlgeteitttters tttutmtt attingere nt its ramt.

TO AIJL WHOM II MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, DENNIS GyIirrTLEFIELD, ofv the city of Albany, and State of New York, have-invented certain new and useful improvements in n. well-known kind oi' stoves, which I denominate Magazine Coal Burners;

and I do hereby declare the`.following to be a flill and exactfdescription of the same, reference being had to the v annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a central vertical section of the stove from front to back. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the magazine having its cover removed. Figure 3, the magazine-cover. Figure 4, the magazine-cover handle. Figure 5, the hopper. Figure 6, the ilue'plate, which, when in place, forms the inner side of the downward passage to the smoke-pipe. Figure 7, the top cover, with a sliding valve and urn-basin. Figure 8, a transverse view of a segment of the agitator, dust-register, and mill-grate. Figure 9, a segment of the ring of spurs projecting inward from the exterior oase, and deflected downward, for the purpose of steadyingthe magazine and keeping it in its central position. i

The inventions wherein I now desire to secure an exclusive property are the last of the series of inventions.

by which 1 have at length brought the magazine coal-burner to the perfection exhibited in what I denominate the Morning Glory of 66, as I new construct it. These new inventions work no change, either of structure or form in the exterior radiating-case, as it presents itself longitudinally to the e'ye of the observer,'except by the adaptation of a sliding valve immediately below the urn-bowl at the top of the cover, nor do they lead necessarily to any change of those interior parts of the burner which' are contained in its lower region, extending upward to line 2, iig. 1. Y

The ash-pit, C, and the doors opening into it, through which the ash-pan, a, may be introduced andtaken out, and also the furnace, D, including my mill-grate oZ d, fully,l describedin my patentbeariug date December 1862, and reissued May 14, 1867, remain unchanged by my new inventions. The furnace, however, as of late I construct it,'coutains the annular agitator,.s s, tige. 1 and 8, described in my patent bearing date April 17, 1866. It consists of a movable cast-iron plate, corresponding in form with the abruptly-fiaring part, of the furnace, on which it lies when at rest, and whereon it may be readily moved horizontally, eachl Way, through a.-

limited space, by means of la lever, m, tig. 1,'inserted into the lower end of a fiat bar, lixed-at the up'per'end to the agitator, and descending into the ash-pit C. The dark oblong-'spots appearing on iig. 1 represent closed holes through the furnace, andthe agitator has corresponding holes. The holes of both incoincidence, and consce quently open, are shown in tig. 8.

I give this brief description of it here because I- hope it may be useful to avail myself of this opportunity to inform the public that, in addition to the .uses of this valuable appendage, specied in my patent of April 17,

1866, itvmay also be made auxiliary to my-newlyifiuvented valve, at the top ofthe burner, in checking combus" tion, when desirable, by the admission into the chambers above of cold air from without, entering through the draught-registers in the doors, and thus avoiding the necessity of closing these registers and rendering the air in the room less pure. i i I What I deem. the most important of my new inventions, herein described, relates te the adjustment of the magazine within the case, and by magazine I intend and desire, here, and throughout this specication, to be understood to referexclusively to a magazine separated from ithe furnace, completely surrounded by an open space or chamber, andclosedat the top, except when opened for the purpose` of being replenished with fuel.

, In otherrespects my invention is not limited to any particular form or structure ofthe magazine.V It may be of uniform diameter throughout its whole length, or -taper 'upward or downward; it may be cast Whole, vor in several parts; and it may be wholly, Vor only in part, of cast iron. 4

But the magazine, having nothing below it to rest upon, must be upheld and kept in a central position by other means.

latcral connection with the case, became a great dcsideratum.

Magazines of this description have accordingly been heretofore supported by fastening them to the sides of the ease, a mode ofconstruction shown by experience, and which may bcotherw'ise demonstrated, to be highly objectionable, and accordingly the'inucntion of some sufficient method of supporting them, independently of any Hanging directly over the furnace, and immersed in hot Agases generated by combustion below them, they become heated to a very high degree, and this effect is `intensified by the` accumulation and detention of these gases within the magazine, for want'of any opening at the top of it for their escape. Thus unavoidably exposed without and within tothe constant action of so high a degree of heat, the magazine will ultimately wear out and require to be replaced. The outer cuse,`it is true, must also be heated to high degree, because it is only by the radiation of heat from itsouter surface that the burner becomes effective. But the 4hot gases come in contact only with its innersurface, and are counteracted by the comparatively cool atmosphere in contact with `its outer surface. Y This inferior degree of heat is insuieient to destroy it, and freed from all destructive agencies proceeding from other causes, itwould endure for a lifetime.'

But under the old mode of adjustment it nevertheless became gradually weakened, and at length worthless.

This want of durability was referable mainly to the lateral mechanical connection of the magazine with the case.v

Its lower section, from line 2 to line 3, iig. 1, necessarily consists of several plates, and isfastened by bolts to thenpper section, entending from line 3 to line 4, which is also necessarily cast in sevdral plates, and whether the burner is to be used for the purpose of warming the apartment in lwhich it is placed, orto be placed in basementsand covered with a bright metallic shell, or surrounded by brick walls, for the purpose of warming rooms above, it is indispensable both to health and comfort that the gases generated by combustion should be prevented from escaping through its numerous joints.

This is effected by the interposition of an adhesive and indestructible cement. It will be seen at once, therefore, how important it is that, when the caseis once setup, its joints should remain undisturbed, and how diilicult, not to say impossible, it is, when separated, to restore them perfectly, or to restore the structure to` its original stability. i i

But when the magazine is connected with `thecase in the manner. I have described, no effect-ive access can be attained for the purpose of repair,'nor can the magazine be taken outfor this purpose without separating the joints of the case. This, as will be best understood by those best skilled in the art, was a grievous faultl" But the destruction of the case was accelerated by another cause; also resulting from the common mode of construct-ion. Iron expands by heat, and its expansion is in proportion to the degree ofheat to which it is subjected. But, as already stated, the magazine, placed in close proximity to the furnace, and directly over it, must unavoidably become heated to a' much higher degree than the case, and must consequently undergo a much greater degree of expansion. The expansion of iron by heat, like its contraction by frostis one of those operationsof the laws of nature which admits of no restraint. When its `effect would otherwise be injurious, the only alternative, therefore, is to neutralize it by evasion.

There is no ldiiliculty in making the joints of the case air-tight by cement, but while it was laterally connected with the magazine, andwas thus subjected, by transmission, to the irresistible action of its greater expansion,'the joints were inevitably made to yield, and, before long, to permit the escape of glas. Butby supcrscding the necessity of ever disturbing the joints of the case for the purpose of repairing or replacing the magazine, and by relieving the case from the expansive force of the magazine, my invention eifectually avoids both of these causes of instability. I i i I detach the magazine altogether from the sides of the case, and suspend it by means of the strongcasl iron plate forming its top, I), iig. 1, and shown also in iig. 2, which is firmly upheld by a narrow ledge projecting inward from the case, on which itrests, and when the aperture through this plate (see iig. 2) for the admission of coal to the magazine is closed by the cover fj, figs. 1 and 3, it complet-cs the door of the chamber, G G'.- It is fastened to the magazine by means of four rods, (two of which 'are shown in iig. 2,) which pass upwards from brackets, e e, through the plate, and are heldby nuts 'n n., fig. 2. For the purpose of guarding more cfectually against any vibration of the magazine, I surround it with a ring of spurs, o o o, iig. 9, projecting from and cast with thc ease at or near line 3, iig. 9, curved downward and extending very nearly to the magazine.

The magazine, thus severed from all lateral connection with the case, it will be seen, may, at pleasure, be conveniently lifted out for repair or replacement, by simply unserewing the main cover, held to its place only by the bolts, 8 8, g. l, and removing it, togethcr'withthc parts immediately under it, represented by figs. 3, Il, 5," and 6. These parts, it will be noticed, are loose pieces, unconnected except by relative position with each other or with therparts on which'they rest. They can therefore be readily removed when the main cover is oil'. But it is necessary that `when the burncris in use they should bo firmly held in their respective proper positions. To this end they are so adjusted to each other, as shown in the drawings, that, if `the hopper be securely fixed in'its place, the other parts will also be kept in theirs.

Availing myself of this arrangement, I accomplish the end in view by so adapting the upper edges of the sides of the hopper, iu point of form and height, to the main cover, E E, fig. 1, Vwhen in place, that, on being bolted down, it confines the hopper,- and indirectly, also, as already shown, the other parts, immovably in their places.

By the arrangement I have described it is obvious that the exterior shell becomes in itselfan independent, stable, and enduring structure, unaffected by the expansion or the removal of the magazine, and the necessity of separate fastenings for the several parts occupying the chamber G G, g. 1, isy superseded.

In applyingthese inventions I 'have been led also to modify the magazine. As I new construct it, its form i and structure are slidwn in g. 2. It consists of three segments, I, J, and K, and the liningof hre-brick or soapstonc, i' 7' i', supported by reciprocating shoulder, as described 'in my patent of August 18,1863. The segments I and J are of cast iron, the segment K of wrought iron, whichI prefer to cast iron, because it ailords an easy and convenient means of altering the length, and consequently the capacity of the magazine, by lengthening I vor shortening this part of it. 'Ihe three segments are bolted together, as shown in iig. 2, and are thus united in one iirm structure, and the stirrups, described in 'my patent of August 18, 1863, are dispensed with. rl'he d evice described in that patent for protecting the lining from abrasion, being inapplicable to the magazine as above described', I have invented another means, which also serves the additional purpose of holding the lining vmore firmly in place in shipping and transporting the burner.

It consists oi' an anular casting, T, g. 1, which I call the brick1'ing. In form it resembles an ordinary tin pan without its bottom. Its smaller diameter is a little less than the inner diameter of the lining at the top,

and when in its place its lower edge is consequently a little lower than the inner periphery of the lining. Its

upper Adiameter corresponds with the inner diameter of the magazine where it lies, and its upper edge being curved downward at two opposite points, so as to allow -it to pass down over small knobs, v, iig. 1, cast vfor the purpose, on the inner opposite sides of the magazine, it may, by a brisk' rotary movement, be made to wedge iirmly between ,the lower sides of the knobs and the, upper part of the lining, and thus to hold thelining in its place, while by lapping down over its upper periphery, it protects it from injury by collision with the coal.

It often becomes necessary, when the draught of the chimneyis strong, to Vcheck a too vehement combustion. This may bemost eifectually done by closing the draught-register in theV doors of the ash-pit. But it is` desirable, when on other accounts unobjectionable, to keep them open for thc purpose of insuring an agreeable and healthful atmosphere in the room, and I have to this end adapted a sliding valve or regulator in the upper cover, w, fig. 1, of the burner, shown at P, iig. 7, and consisting of a series of oblongr holes around the cover, between its4 periphery Aand the urn-bowl, to be opened and closed at pleasure, by a movable plate, having corresponding apertures, and nicely fitted to the cover. By the admission of air through this valve into thcsmall chamber G G, iig. 1, througl which the upward current from below finds it way to the sn1okepipe,'S,'fig. 1, the upward current will be considerably impeded by partial obstruction, and also by being cooled, and the combustion in the furnace will be sensibly cheeked.

If the' handlef, iig. 4, by means of which the cover y, figs. 1 and 3, is opened and closed, and which must unavoidably pass through the outerv case, be iixed immovably to theeover, it is manifest thatthe cover cannot be removed from the chamber in which it operates, and Vconsequently the magazine could not be taken outwitln .out breaking the handle. To remedy this inconvenience I have invented a handle represented by iig.' 4, and an aperture in and through the cover y, by means of which the handle, kept in its position by its passage through I the case, cannot possibly be detached from the cover by use, butmay, nevertheless-,iwithout didieulty, be separated by raising'the cover from its bed, preparatory to lifting the magazine out of the case.

What I claim as of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. The complete separation of the covered magazine from the sides of the surrounding case, and the devices described whereby it is suspended and securely held in its proper position for use, while it may at pleasure be taken out of the case and again restored to its place, without injury or disturbance to the case.

2. The'adjustment, in the manner described, of the handle of the cover of the magazine.

3. The reciprocal adaptation of the magazine-cover, the tine-plate, and the hopper to each other, and of the hopper to the cover oi' thevburner, in the manner and for the purposes specified.

DENNIS G.` LITTLEFIELD.

Witnesses: i

HENRY C. LITTLEFIELD, A. BARTON HoUGn. 

